1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to devices for retrieving objects, and more particularly to manually operated devices for retrieving balls from the surface of the ground.
2. Description of the Prior Art
After a batting practice or driving practice session in many sports, such as softball, hard ball and golf, balls are usually left distributed widely over a field or driving range. The retrieval of the balls over this wide area by means of the usual manual method of retrieval requires a person to walk over to and pick up each ball. After a long practice session, this activity can become a time consuming and tiring effort. One of the most time consuming and most tiring portion of this retrieval process is the necessity to stop, bend over, and pick up each ball individually before proceeding to the retrieval of another ball. This portion of the process can be particularly difficult or even impossible for some people, especially those that suffer from back strain, or back injury. Indeed, the repeated bending over required in this process can itself induce back strain in people who are not accustomed to this type of physical activity.
The time and cost required by prior art retrieval methods is considerable. A practice session in a sport such as soft ball can be halted once all the practice balls have been hit. A two hour practice session can require up to an hour to retrieve all the balls and return them to the mound to continue the session or start a game. One prior art method of overcoming this type of delay in a practice session was to accept the expense of a larger supply of practice bails. A larger supply of balls, although more expensive, permitted the practice session to continue longer. However, this solution only made the task of clearing the field for a game following a practice session an even greater problem because of the added time required to clear the field of the increased number of balls.
There are mechanism available to aid in the retrieval process, but many are expensive and impractical for most application. For example, ride-on vehicles designed for retrieving golf balls are currently available, but their cost and maintenance is generally prohibitive for the individual or neighborhood athletic team. The disadvantages of prior art mechanisms and prior art manual retrieval systems are overcome by the present invention, as will be shown and described in the following specifications and claims.